The Practicalities of Magic
by wordslinger
Summary: Whatever the price to keep the man she loved close to her and alive, was worth it. The problem with magic, she would realize later, was that the cost is never clear at the time of purchase. Jerza. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: I'm hardly an expert on baking or the Latin language. Try not to think too hard about any of it. This is for** **thir13enth because she is a terrible enabler.**_

* * *

 **Once upon a time, there was a girl and she loved two things** _ **very much**_ **.**

The first love of her life was pastry. Some of Erza's favorite memories were of watching her grandmother spread unwieldy globs of buttercream into the smooth surface of a cake, and slicing perfect slivers of strawberry for garnish.

"Pastry is a language of love, Erza," she'd say, smiling down at her granddaughter who peered over the edge of the countertop. "Your hands are the medium by which your love flows."

Everyone loved _Rosemary's Bakery_. The shop sat on the very edge of Magnolia's shopping district but customers came from all over town and beyond to buy her grandmother's cakes, muffins, and loaves of their namesake Rosemary Hearth Bread. Young brides and the lovelorn alike would come specifically for the bread. Rumor had it the elder Scarlet was actually a witch and wove love spells into her hearth loaves.

When asked about it, Erza's grandmother would only smile and say, "Love is what you make of it. Rosemary Hearth Bread is best served warm."

Erza would giggle every time a young lady would leave the shop clutching a loaf of the hearth bread to her chest with a renewed glow. Rumors were one thing, but Erza knew the truth. _Of course_ her grandmother was a witch – just like her mother before her and so on and so forth. The magic passed down through generations. Naturally, with the unspoken respect came suspicious glances from the more disapproving townsfolk, but Erza had never heard an unkind word about her grandmother.

When she was old enough to ask about the love spells in the bread her grandmother's answer didn't quite satisfy.

"Love and happiness are two very different things, my love. They come to us for hope that their situation could be better, and that's what we give them. _Real_ magic is never so simple. Free will is not a thing to be tampered with. Every thread of magic has a price."

"Is that what happened to my mother?" Erza asked softly. Her grandmother knelt down and tucked a strand of scarlet hair behind Erza's ear.

"Your mother died of a broken heart, my love. She was so consumed by the loss that she couldn't see the gain. You, Erza, are worth _so much_."

Erza's grandmother passed away just before her seventeenth birthday. The funeral was large but Erza had never felt more alone in her life.

* * *

The second love of Erza's life wrapped his fingers around the edge of the shop door just as she went to close it for the day.

"Are you truly closed?" He smiled pleadingly.

"I'm afraid so."

"I've come all the way from the outside of town only to be rebuffed at the last moment. My sister will probably cry all night now." His mouth curved into a wider grin and Erza couldn't help but stare at the markings on his face. The design crinkled attractively.

"I –" A voice in her head that spoke in her grandmother's soft voice asked her if she was really going to turn down a handsome stranger who'd come to her in the rain.

"Just one loaf of the hearth bread will do and I'll be on my way."

Erza snapped from her reverie. "I'm sorry but I sold the last loaf hours ago."

"Have you really? My apologies." The young man released her door and turned back out to the rain.

"Wait!" she called impulsively. "It's for your sister?"

He whirled back around and smiled again. "It is. Her heart was ripped out by a boy at school, she says, and your bread is the only way to fix it again."

"Well –" Erza's face flushed pink and she took a step backwards. "If you don't mind waiting, I could make her one special." The young man stepped inside of her shop and pulled back the hood of his jacket.

"I don't mind waiting. I've heard your hearth bread is positively _magical_ , Miss Scarlet."

"You'd do well not to listen to rumors, Mister..." she trailed off and grabbed an apron from the rack.

"Fernandes."

"Have a seat Mister Fernandes, and have a look around. It's just a bakery," Erza said with a smile. The young man followed her back into the kitchen and perched on a stool. He watched her prepare the yeast, herbs, and dough with fascinated interest. She deposited the dough in a mixing bowl and set it aside to rise. "So tell me about your sister."

"You know how callous school boys can be," he said with a grin. "Meredy says she'll simply die if he doesn't take her back."

"Has she considered that perhaps he isn't worth her time?"

"I've told her so at least five times today. Which is why I'm here with you, Miss Scarlet. I can't have my little sister dying of a broken heart."

Erza reached for the bowl and dumped the dough out onto the table top again and began to work it into a loaf. She eased the dough into a well seasoned iron skillet and slid it into the last of her fire. When she turned back around the young man was still smiling at her.

"I don't think I've ever made the bread by request for someone else this way. I hope your intentions are pure, Mister Fernandes," she teased.

"I would never think to tamper with love spells, Miss Scarlet," he said softly. "My late mother swore by this shop and claimed our existence in this world was because of your Rosemary Hearth Bread."

"Love and happiness are two very different things, Mister Fernandes," she reprised, dusting the flour from her apron. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about your grandmother."

"Thank you," she whispered. Erza wrapped the warm bread in brown paper and handed it over. "You'll want to hurry home. This is best served warm."

"Of course." His fingers brushed hers as he took the package and tucked it into his jacket. "Thank you again, Miss Scarlet. How much for the bread?"

"Consider it a gift from me to your sister."

"I am in your debt, then." He smiled and pulled the hood of his jacket over his head once more. Before Erza could respond, he was ducking back out into the rain.

* * *

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" a voice said from beside her. Erza startled and glanced up to find a familiar face.

"How's your sister?" she asked with a smile.

"Ready to love again," he replied returning her smile. "Thanks to you, of course."

"I told you it's just bread, Mister Fernandes."

"Jellal," he said easily. "Mister Fernandes is my father."

"I see." He followed her through the maze of carts that made up the Saturday square market.

"You've left me breathless, Miss Scarlet. Do I get to know your first name?"

"I think Miss Scarlet is fine for now," she said with a grin. Jellal laughed and proceeded to carry her purchases without prompting. By the time the sun was midway across the sky his arms were full and Erza led him back to her bakery. "Just here." She pointed to the empty work table.

"So it's only you running this place?" he asked unloading himself.

"I have help sometimes but it's mostly me. I don't mind being alone."

"You aren't lonely?"

Erza smiled and began to unwrap the bundles of herbs and blocks of butter. "Being alone, and being lonely aren't the same, Jellal."

"That's a very true statement." He lingered by her side and Erza tried to ignore the way his gaze thrilled her. The fact that she was often the subject of male interest hadn't ever been of consequence before. When his fingers bravely touched the tips of her hair, Erza tried to swallow her gasp. "You have such lovely hair," he said quietly. "I've never seen a shade like yours before."

"It runs in my family." Erza turned to him and gauged the sincerity in his eyes. He exuded nothing but a warm glow. He twirled the strand of her hair around his finger more daringly and continued to smile in a way that made her heart skip.

"What a lucky set of genes, Miss Scarlet."

"You should call me Erza," she breathed hastily.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he said before closing the gap between them with a simple kiss that stole her heart.

* * *

She should've seen it coming. She should've been more wary of the trap of love. Her own mother had died in it's claws. Erza should've been more careful. But she wasn't.

"I'm pretty sure the only improvement to your hair is the moon," Jellal whispered into the back of her neck.

"You're ridiculous sometimes," she giggled and placed her hand over his as it slid around her waist. He pulled her against his chest and sighed. Later she would reprimand herself for not recognizing his desperate sadness. "Did you know magic works best on a full moon?"

"I would trade _anything_ for a spell to keep me by your side for the rest of my life." Erza turned in his arms and considered the serious tone in his voice.

"You would have to trade something," she whispered. "Magic isn't ever free. There's always a price."

"I'm going to miss you," he said in a breath. Erza's heart crashed in her chest. "I got the notice by post last week. I should've told you but I couldn't."

"I don't understand."

"I've been drafted, Erza. They're sending me on a boat to Alvarez... tomorrow."

Erza blinked. And blinked again.

"War is an ugly thing. I thought maybe I could keep it away from us but I can't."

"But –" Her eyes burned and Jellal's thumbs swept her tears away.

"Will you wait for me?"

"Only if you promise to come back," she choked out.

"I promise." As soon as the words fell from his lips, Erza took them. She kissed him with every part of her soul.

* * *

The moonlight that dappled her bedroom wasn't as bright or brilliant as on the outside but the power was the same. Jellal's naked back appeared nearly flawless and her blankets gathered at his waist. She wanted to watch him sleep but there was work to be done. Ever since he'd told her he was leaving earlier that night, Erza felt the shadow of death building in her throat. If Jellal left, he would never come back – just like her own father, and she already knew she wouldn't be able to carry on without him. Like mother, like daughter.

Her grandmother's books had been gathering dust on the shelves but the pages were still full of magic. Erza ran her fingers over the vellum pages and breathed in the scent of dried rosemary that clung to her grandmother's old bedroom.

Jellal didn't wake when the bundle of dried herbs and flowers were hidden under his pillow. He didn't stir when Erza dabbed a drop of lavender oil on the curve of his spine. Only when she slid back into the bed beside him did he roll to his side and pull her against him. His breath stirred the small hairs at the base of her neck.

Erza squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her refusal to give him up. She just wanted Jellal by her side. She'd never wanted anything so badly. Whatever the price to keep the man she loved close to her and _alive,_ was worth it.

 _"Et recordare ut custodiant,"_ she whispered fiercely, over and over. The problem with magic, she would realize later, was that the cost is never clear at the time of purchase.


	2. Chapter 2

Erza noticed his absence even before opening her eyes. She sighed quietly and rolled over. Surely he wouldn't have left without saying goodbye – except that his side of the bed was empty. Erza reached across the cold sheets to touch the edge of his pillow. It seemed he'd been gone for a while. For the first time in her life, Erza felt _lonely_. The morning was beautiful but her heart was broken.

The blankets near her feet shifted and she shot up in the bed. Erza stared at the intruder, who stared right back at her. It wasn't that Erza disliked cats or that she was allergic to cats or anything like that at all... she just didn't _have_ a cat. Yet, there, at the foot of her bed was a cat.

"Are you lost, kitty?" she asked softly, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. She wanted to cry. The cat eyed her silently before stalking across the blankets and perching on her thigh. "Well," Erza said swallowing her tears and touching one velvet ear. "It certainly seems as if you're used to people."

An insistent knocking on the shop door below her apartment jarred Erza from her thoughts.

"Erza!" a voice outside her window called. " _Erza!_ Please be awake, Erza!"

The cat leapt from her lap, gracefully hopped up to the windowsill, and placed one paw on the glass. Erza followed the cat and peered down into the street.

"Oh, no," she whispered. Rushing through the top floor apartment, Erza grabbed her bathrobe but forgot her slippers. Meredy Fernandes was knocking again when she finally made it to the front door of the shop. Her eyes were wide, and red.

"I'm so sorry for showing up like this," Jellal's sister began. "But Jellal was meant to be at the harbor this morning at sunrise and he promised me he'd come say good bye." Tears that Erza suspected weren't the first to fall, leaked from her eyes. "Please tell me he left a note or... or _something_ ," she finished in a whisper.

Erza frowned and clutched at her bathrobe. "He didn't," she muttered. "He was here last night and... he's usually very good about waking up on his own but..." Erza trailed off. Her eyes bounced around the front end of her bakery awkwardly. "I woke up alone."

"He better not have decided not to say goodbye to spare me sadness! My brother has always been stupidly... _he's just so stupid!"_ Meredy sniffled again and glared up at the ceiling trying to blink away new tears.

Despite Meredy's harsh words, Erza was distracted. Her new cat friend pranced toward Meredy and circled her ankles. It's paws stretched up to poke at the hem of her school uniform skirt.

"When did you get a cat?"

"Uh, I didn't. I mean, he was in my bed when I woke up."

"That's not weird at all," Meredy muttered, bending down to take the cat into her arms. She laughed when it began to purr loudly and nudge her chin. "I think he likes me. He smells good too! It's almost like... lavender or something?"

Erza frowned. "What did you say?"

"I said your new cat is friendly!"

"No I mean, the other thing. He smells like _lavender?_ "

"Just a little. His fur is gorgeous! Honestly, Erza, you should keep him." Erza watched intently as Meredy placed the cat back on the floor. "Listen, I have to get to class. I guess I don't feel as bad about Jellal just taking off if he did it to you, too. He'll write or call soon, I'm sure. Dad was saying drafted officers like Jellal probably don't see much action anyway."

"Right. Of course. He probably overslept for the first time in his life and didn't want to wake me," Erza managed. She couldn't take her eyes off the cat. "You'd better get going."

Meredy smiled fully and wiped the last of her tears on the cuff of her jacket. "I'll see you around, Erza!"

The blue-grey cat turned his gaze back to Erza once the bells above the front door chimed and she knelt down to get a closer look. Bright green eyes blinked slowly and Erza's breath caught in her throat. Not only were the eyes strikingly familiar, he _absolutely_ carried a faint scent of lavender.

"It _can't_ be!" She gathered the cat against her chest and took the stairs two at a time up to the second story. The door to her grandmother's bedroom was still open from the night before as was the spell book on her desk. Erza left the cat on the untouched bed and began to skim the pages. She'd done everything right! The protection spell should've kept Jellal from any circumstances that might have taken him away from her! She couldn't remember her _exact_ words, though.

Erza turned around and watched the cat stretch out across her grandmother's bed. He gazed at her in a way that made the hair on her arms stand up. She didn't want to believe it. The very idea was ludicrous! Erza had spent the whole of her childhood watching her grandmother practice what she'd called _The Small Magicks_. Just a few things here and there to protect the bakery and keep Erza safe while at school. Never had she seen anyone turn into a cat or anything _half_ so bizarre!

With a deep sigh, Erza snapped the spell book shut. She slid it back into the empty space on the shelf and her eye caught on an old notebook. Erza smiled and flipped through the pages of her own handwriting. On the back inside cover there were words not of her hand, but still well remembered.

 _"Magni Momenti!_

 _To gain one treasure, another must be lost,_

 _Nothing comes without a cost._

 _Magic lives in the heart, sweet child,_

 _So be careful with the words, or they'll run wild._

 _The soul of a spell lives and breathes,_

 _It yearns to give the comfort a caster needs._

 _But magic is a restless force,_

 _And draws it's potency from the source._

 _So be wary, good girl, and always think first,_

 _What starts out as love can end in a curse."_

Erza shook her head replaced the notebook and joined the cat on her grandmother's bed. He was lithe and perfectly sleek as he situated his body in a statuesque pose. With reluctance Erza's eyes glanced quickly at his exposed belly.

"Well," she said suppressing a giggle. "You're definitely a boy cat." His eyes slid open and shut slowly, showing no signs of humor. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Erza fell back against the quilt and reached up to run a hand along the length of his body when he settled over her chest. "Is it really you, Jellal?"

The cat started to purr and he tucked his head between his paws. He pressed his nose into the palm of her hand when she touched the tips of his ears again.

"I promise I'll figure this out, okay? I'll fix it."

* * *

Erza quickly learned that forwards magic was a lot easier than backwards magic. Undoing a spell or trying to rectify severe damage done by _another_ spell – and turning her boyfriend into a cat was definitely something Erza considered to be severe damage – wasn't a task to be taken lightly. It occurred to her that she shouldn't have taken the original spell as lightly as she did, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

She couldn't afford to close up shop and dedicate all her time to transforming Jellal, the bakery was her livelihood. So during the day, the blue-grey cat napped in swaths of sunlight on the wood planked floor while Erza carried on business as usual. A night, he perched on the edge of her grandmother's bed and watched her frustratedly flip page after page of spell books and grind satchels of herbs until her hands ached. Every day she grew more and more impatient.

Meredy stopped by every now and then to ask after news of Jellal and Erza had nothing to tell her. The girl did take a fair amount of joy in playing with the new cat and begged Erza to let her call him _Furnandes_. Erza winced at the terrible pun but acquiesced. The thought crossed her mind to let Meredy in on the secret but that revelation would have to come with a host of other admissions Erza wasn't quite ready to make. As with her grandmother before her, rumors of witchcraft were harmless – but solid truths would be a lot harder for outsiders to swallow.

On the last Thursday of November, Erza lit one red and one white beeswax candle on her windowsill and left Jellal curled at the foot of her bed for a shower. He'd been uncharacteristically anxious all day, circling her ankles and yowling loudly anytime she left him alone. The source of his anxiety remained unknown but at least he'd calmed down by the time the sun set – she needed a break.

When Erza returned to her bedroom she nearly dropped her towel. Sitting casually on the edge of her bed – as if he hadn't been a cat for the last twenty-nine days – was Jellal. Completely human and dressed as he had been before bed on the last night they were together.

"Hey, Erza," he said with a grin. She stared agape and managed to catch a breath before rushing across the room and crashing into him. He laughed and touched the wet strands of her hair in his face.

"How can you laugh?" Erza asked sniffling away surprised tears. "How are you here and not a cat?" She pulled away from him and sat back on the bed. "I slipped and hit my head in the shower, didn't I?"

"No," he said softly, still smiling. "I'm actually here."

"But –"

"I don't know for how long. I can _feel_ things." He frowned and Erza reached out to smooth the wrinkle between his brows. "All day long I could feel _something._ "

"Is that why you were so clingy today?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah." His grin turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. I'm not completely myself. I mean, I am _now_ , but my thoughts are... _cattish_ otherwise. I have certain impulses and instincts."

Erza bit her lip and felt on the verge of tears again. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you, Jellal. It's my fault. I just wanted... I just wanted to –"

"Don't beat yourself up, Erza," he said taking her hand and pulling her back against him. "It's not like I didn't put the idea in your head."

"I should've known better." Jellal's eyes shifted to the candles and then beyond the window glass. "What is it?"

"It's the moon, I think."

Erza blinked. "Oh. _Oh, of course!_ It's the full moon! That's why you're here!" She groaned and hid her face in his neck. "I really am the worst kind of witch."

Jellal laughed and ran his fingers through her hair again. "I have faith in you, Erza," he whispered. "Let's not waste the time we have." Erza pulled away and placed her hands on either side of his face.

"I _will_ fix this, Jellal. I promise."

"I know." He smiled and Erza thought maybe his eyes twinkled in the candlelight. "For now, though, I think I just really want to kiss you. I see you just about every moment of every day and I still missed you so much."

Erza didn't recall how her towel ended up on the floor or where his pajama bottoms went, exactly. She only knew that when he kissed her, she forgot any other type of magic.

* * *

When the sun rose and filled her bedroom with light, Erza snapped upright. Her eyes fell on the lump of blue-grey fur at the foot of her bed and her heart sank. The bath towel was still on the floor but all traces of Jellal, besides the sleeping cat, were gone. Erza's chest tightened and she swatted at a few stray tears. She had information now. Jellal could return to his human form on a full moon. That had to mean _something!_

The cat stretched and watched her with Jellal's green eyes. Without warning, he stood and leapt from her bed to the dressing table. He gazed at her regally until Erza stumbled from the bed. Realizing she was still naked, she blushed and held the sheet around her body. It somehow felt _wrong_ to be naked in front of the cat. In response to her sudden modesty, Jellal meowed loudly and slapped his tail against what appeared to be a stack of papers and envelopes.

Erza crossed her bedroom floor and shuffled through them. There were three envelopes and a loose sheet of paper. He must have written letters after she'd fallen asleep. His thoughtfulness touched her. One was addressed to Erza herself, one was for Meredy, and the third for his father. The note separate from the envelopes simply read,

 _Please don't let Meredy call me Furnandes anymore. It's demoralizing._

A peal of laughter escaped Erza's throat and she glanced over at the cat who still swished his tail indignantly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to deal with the name, Jellal. I can't exactly tell your sister why it's a terrible." He let out a rumbling yowl when Erza dropped a kiss on his head before dressing for the day.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: I'm thinking maybe two or three more chapters at most.**_

* * *

December was Erza's favorite month. Ever since she'd been a little girl running around in the snow with one glove on – the other forgotten in her pocket – and a bedraggled braid, the magic of the winter season hadn't ever failed to enchant her. There was something about the way the snow piled on windowsills and the stark clash of green holly leaves and pure, white snow that lifted her heart.

Jellal had taken to napping upstairs in her apartment near the wood stove during the afternoon. In the evenings, he'd curl up in her lap and purr loudly. Unfortunately, Erza wasn't any closer to solving her boyfriend-turned-cat problem. The winter solstice was one of her busiest times of the year – shortbread, braids, wreaths, and cookies disappeared from her racks almost as fast as she could fill them. By the time she closed her doors every night, her feet and back ached fiercely. Adding to her guilt, Jellal didn't appear to be agitated by her lack of progress. He only nuzzled her chin with his head whenever she felt particularly useless.

Meredy would bring in newspapers and regale Erza with tales of war. The tides were turning, the headlines proclaimed. According to her father, soldiers would begin to return home by the next summer. Erza felt the weight of that deadline. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she couldn't fix him by then.

Besides all that, she had another problem in the form of Simon. He'd been discharged from the military with a gunshot wound. According to his proud mother, he'd suffered the injury _heroically_. According to his unimpressed sister, however, he probably shot himself in the leg _accidentally_. He'd always been an awkward boy and Erza didn't see Kagura's theory as at all implausible. Simon's return in and of itself wasn't a problem, it was his lingering infatuation with Erza that complicated things.

Simon would pop into _Rosemary's Bakery_ at least three times a week, sometimes four. He didn't always make purchases – his flirtatious intentions were completely transparent – but his mother was a loyal customer and Erza didn't want to lose her business. Jellal's reaction to Erza's frequent patron was an entirely different story.

"You're absolutely glowing today, Erza." Simon said as he leaned over the counter. Erza deposited the yeast rolls into the display basket with more carelessness than they deserved.

"It's just sweat," she muttered. "I've been in the kitchen since before sunrise."

"You should take a break." Erza spun around to face him and tucked a loose strand of red hair behind one ear.

"And who would run my shop?" she asked as politely as possible.

"You could leave that tomcat of yours in charge." Simon glanced at the shelves of cake boxes and bags. "He stalks around like he owns the place."

"I don't know," Erza said grinning at the cat. "I feel like the lack of opposable thumbs might hinder his job performance." Jellal's ear twitched.

"I didn't even know you liked cats."

"This one's special, I guess." The blue-grey cat leapt from the shelf to the edge of the counter. Erza cleared her throat and turned back toward the kitchen. "I need to get back to work."

Jellal's fierce green gaze didn't deviate from Simon until the bells above the door jingled. Once he'd gone, the cat pranced back into the kitchen and perched on a stool. Erza felt his eyes on her and sighed.

"Let it go, Jellal," she muttered.

* * *

 _"Erza!"_ Simon's voice stood out from the typical Saturday market din of chatter. "I was hoping I'd see you here."

"Well, you've found me," she said halfheartedly. "I'm just picking up some last minute things for dinner tomorrow."

"Oh? The holiday isn't for another week."

"Uh," Erza floundered. She didn't want to give him any details surrounding the only time she'd have with Jellal before the holiday. "It's just a private – uh, _personal_ dinner. I'll be spending the actual holiday with Meredy Fernandes and her father."

Simon's smile faded. "So you're still holding out hope, huh? Has there been word? What unit did you say he was in again?"

"I forget," Erza ventured casually. "It doesn't matter. He'll come back."

"Erza –" A loud yowling from a crate of bagged pecans objected to whatever Simon was about to say. Erza laughed softly and reached out to press her thumb to the cat's forehead. "Geez, that cat really needs a hobby. Doesn't he give you any space at all?"

Erza grinned, shifted her shopping bags to the crook of her arm, and took her jealous boyfriend into her arms and kissed the tip of one of his velvet ears.

"I don't mind that he follows me everywhere," she said more to Jellal than Simon. "He keeps me company."

"You don't have to be alone, you know," Simon offered in a low voice. Erza sighed when Jellal's tail coiled around her wrist.

"I won't be alone forever, Simon. Jellal will come back. Love always finds a way back." She finally waved him off and wormed her way through the crowd as quickly as possible. Jellal's paws settled on her shoulder and he seemed to be pacified by the brisk air fluttering her hair behind her.

* * *

Jellal's fingers slid through her hair and Erza thought maybe if _she_ were a cat, she'd be purring. She twisted around and hid her face in the column of his neck. He smelled of bath soap and pine needles. Without warning, tears prickled in her eyes and dripped onto the shoulder of his sweater.

"Why are you crying?" he asked quietly. Erza sniffled and watched him wiggle his toes in the heat radiating from the wood stove.

"I just feel so useless. I come from a long line of witches and can't manage to figure out this one thing!"

He laughed softly and squeezed her shoulder. "You can't feel useless on Christmas."

"But –"

"I know it's not exactly Christmas yet," Jellal murmured into her hair. "But it may as well be. I said I have faith in you, Erza, and I do. I trust you, I believe in you –" He kissed her temple gently. "And I love you."

"What if I just didn't go to sleep? Would you still turn back into a cat?"

"I would, and you can't just go without sleep." Jellal's eyebrow quirked upwards when Erza suddenly shifted on the couch and faced him with wide eyes.

"What if this is all we ever have, Jellal?" she whispered. "What if –"

"I refuse to believe that," he said firmly. "There's got to be a way around the spell." Jellal's eyes dropped to her hair. His lips fell into a slight frown as he curled the strands around his fingers. "It's just a matter of finding the right bargain."

"Bargain?"

"Well..." he trailed off and focused on the band of red. "I changed into a cat form because your spell was meant to keep me from the war front and, to be completely fair, you accomplished that. The price was my human body every night except on a full moon. What if my change isn't your trade to make?"

"I don't know what you mean." Erza's head tilted to the side in confusion. Jellal stared hard at the curl of hair still wrapped around his finger before finally snapping himself out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, I got lost for a moment. Anyway, I just meant that if magic is based on a system of trades, there has to be a way to alter my current situation. It's probably just not quite the way you think."

"You're so much better with free thought than I am, Jellal. I keep asking myself what my grandmother would do and it's become more and more clear she wouldn't have messed with the order of the universe to begin with."

"Your intentions came from a good place, love. Unfortunately –"

"Intention doesn't always equal result," she muttered. Erza sighed and took his hand from her hair. Jellal smiled at her and it warmed her soul. "We do have tonight, though."

"Yes, we do." His eyes fell to her mouth when she leaned over him and planted her knees on either side of his hips. She kissed him and pushed all thoughts of waking up alone out of her head.

* * *

The letter didn't come through ordinary mail. If it _had_ , Erza would've been extremely suspicious. Eileen _never_ used the post.

A cardinal fluttered through the open window in a gust of air that smelled strongly of dahlia blossoms. Erza's eyes widened in surprise as she watched the shape of the bird fizzle when the folded note landed at Jellal's pawed feet. The edges of the note were all folded inward and sealed with a dollop of blood red wax. Eileen had always loved dramatics.

Jellal poked at the folded paper with one paw curiously. Erza gathered him in her arms and snatched up the note. She settled into her chair, peeled off the wax, and stroked Jellal's ears as her eyes scanned the letter.

"Looks like we'll have company for the new year," she muttered as Jellal sniffed the edge of the paper. "My sister is coming to town."


	4. Chapter 4

Eileen was flamboyant in all the ways Erza wasn't. She had the same shade of hair as Erza but every strand obeyed her perfectly – there were never wisps hanging in her face and her ties never slipped from the ends of her braids leaving everything to unravel. The older Scarlet sister was free spirited and traveled frequently. She'd left the bakery behind at seventeen to float around the world on a breeze of her own making. Eileen carried an air of fantastic confidence where as Erza battled insecurity.

Instead of overthinking how she'd break the news of her flubbed spell to her sister, Erza focused on garlic knots. Those were simple enough.

"If you twist those dough strings any tighter you'll have knots so dense you'll need to soak them in sauce to be edible," a humorous voice said from across the table. Erza gasped and fumbled the dough. Eileen smiled in her typical disarming way.

"How did you –"

"Get in?" She laughed easily. "I grew up here, too, Erza. I know _all_ the secrets. I brought you something."

Erza's eyebrow twitched upwards in curiosity. She wiped her hands on her apron and made her way around the work table. Eileen dropped a sachet into the palm of her waiting hand.

"It's an anti-anxiety charm." Eileen smiled knowingly. "I made it last night and I'm glad I did! I could sense your messy aura halfway down the street." Erza sniffed the bag and smiled.

"Am I so obvious?"

"Incredibly so." Eileen's eyes widened in mirth before she let them fondly run over the kitchen. "You haven't changed much around here."

"No, I – I like it the way it is." Erza's face flushed when her sister reached out to touch the frayed end of her braid that hung over her shoulder.

"I'm glad. I know I haven't been around much but..."

"You don't have to apologize for following your heart, Eileen. You were never the homebody I was, and I've never resented you for it."

"I missed you." Eileen smiled and Erza felt her heart lift and her courage rally. "It's good to be home."

"Eileen there's –"

 _"Erza!"_ Meredy's voice called out from the front of the shop. The bells above the door jingled and Erza sighed.

"A customer?" Eileen asked quietly. "It's awful early."

"No, that's just Meredy." Erza couldn't explain who Meredy was without letting the cat out of the bag so, instead, she slid the anti-anxiety sachet into her pocket, tossed aside her apron, and tried to scrape together an appropriate introduction. Eileen followed her through the kitchen to the front end. Meredy's wide eyes slid from one sister to the other.

"I didn't know you had a twin sister, Erza!" she said in awe. Eileen laughed and leaned her hip against the edge of the counter.

"It's the hair, isn't it?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"I never even met _one_ person with hair like Erza's before and now there's two of you!" Meredy said, her eyes still fixated on Eileen's thick braids.

"We aren't twins but that was always a fun game," Eileen laughed. "Pink is the color sensitivity and tenderness, did you know that? I bet it suits you... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Meredy Fernandes," the girl said easily. At the sound of her last name the blue-grey cat came prancing down the stairs and leapt to the edge of the counter. His tail swished regally. Eileen's eyes immediately slid over to him and _stayed_ there. Erza's palms began to sweat when her sister's gaze narrowed inquisitively. _Suspiciously._

"Erza," Eileen said with a slow grin. "I didn't know you had a cat."

"Uh –"

"He's new!" Meredy piped up helpfully. "He just kinda showed up when my brother left to serve overseas! Isn't he pretty? I told Erza she should keep him since he's so friendly." She reached into her pocket and brought out a few crumbs of left over sausage roll. The cat took them from her daintily.

"He does appear to be very socialized, Erza. How _fortuitous_ for you to have such friendly company."

"He's um –"

"When my brother comes home I think he'll be happy Erza wasn't alone while he was gone."

"My sister is ever faithful, Meredy. Your brother is a lucky man." Eileen said winking at the cat salaciously.

"I hope she punishes him for leaving so abruptly. He didn't even say goodbye! Can you believe that?" Meredy adjusted her school bag and glanced at the wall clock. "Anyway, I have to get to school. I'll come by tonight for dinner bread. My dad wants yeast rolls."

"Of course," Erza said, working up a smile. "I'll have them ready."

"Thanks Erza!" Meredy called turning back to the door. "It was nice to meet you Eileen!" The bells jingled and then fell silent as the door shut behind her.

"Well," Eileen said dramatically. "I think you'd better introduce me to your cat." Erza sighed heavily and stretched her arm out to run her fingers over Jellal's downy soft fur.

"Eileen," she began. "This is Jellal. He's... well he's Meredy's brother –"

"And your lover who's supposed to be fighting a war overseas?" Eileen bent down over the counter and peered into Jellal's eyes. He blinked slowly.

"Yeah," Erza mumbled. "I never meant for the spell to turn out like this."

"Famous last words," Eileen said with a smile. "How long has he been this way?"

"Since late October. It was just a protection spell with all the regular things plus some lavender oil."

"What were your words?"

 _"Et recordare ut custodiant,"_ Erza muttered quietly.

"The devil is always in the details, Erza. Spells steeped in love and desire can be a messy business. There were always rumors," she added absently. "But grandmother never put anything but rosemary in the hearth bread." Eileen's finger touched the tip of Jellal's ear. "You love him, yes?"

"I do."

"And he loves you?"

"Yes." At her answer Jellal crawled into Erza's arms and tucked his head and front paws into the curve of her neck. "I've tried a few things but nothing comes close to working. Is there anything that can be done?"

Eileen tapped her fingernails on the counter top and Erza could practically hear the cogs turning in her head. With a finality, Eileen tossed one thick braid over her shoulder and nodded.

"I think we can work some magic but –"

"I'm willing to do _anything._ "

"Oh, sister," Eileen said softly. "Vague words like those are what got you into this mess to begin with. I'm afraid you stumbled onto something quite complicated. There's a full moon in two days. We'll need it."

* * *

Erza relaxed back against Eileen's knees. Strong fingers worked through her wet hair and Erza realized how much she'd truly missed her sister. The weight of Jellal's absence settled over her shoulders and she swallowed back her tears.

"He only comes back to you on the full moon?" Eileen asked quietly, still twisting Erza's hair into a complex plait.

"Yes." Erza wicked away two tears surreptitiously. "After the sun sets he changes back until sunrise, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I've never seen it happen." Erza's cheeks burned. She didn't want to admit that he kept her distracted until she was asleep. "When he's human things are –" Eileen cut her off with a laugh.

"Erza, your lover appears to you once every twenty-nine days. I don't judge you for wanting to make the most of your time together." Eileen was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "I suppose it was lucky that your last night with him was on a full moon. Such a basic spell wouldn't have had the same potency under a different, less powerful, moon. A feline body is unfortunate but dying across the ocean in a political war is much worse."

"Grandmother never taught me difficult magic."

"She wanted to protect you."

"By hiding things from me?" Erza's irritation took her by surprise.

"Mm." Eileen fell silent again and Erza waited. "I remember a lot of whispered arguments after dad died," she finally said. "Mom lost so much of herself and grandmother had to watch her slowly destruct. It couldn't have been easy."

"I don't recall any of that."

"You were so little back then, I'm not surprised you don't remember. Mom wanted to expose us. She wanted to take money for magic." Eileen held out her hand for the hair tie. "There's nothing wrong with being a professional witch but –" Erza felt a tug on her braid just before it was laid over her shoulder. "As I'm sure you have realized by now, intentions and words are crucial. Mom was too reckless to be trusted with magic for others. It would've ended badly."

"I never knew."

"Grandmother was so careful with you."

"She always said you were more like mom and I was like dad."

Eileen laughed and slid off the edge of the sofa to join Erza on the floor. "I think that's a fair assessment. I remember dad being very kind and quiet, and he always went out of his way to help others. If that's not you I'll buy a big crazy hat and eat it."

"You won't – I mean –" Erza blurted. "You're my family."

"Erza, I'm not our mother. You're _my_ family, too." Eileen glanced over to the arm chair near the wood stove where the cat was curled into a ball. "I promise we'll fix Jellal so you can make cute little witch babies with red hair."

"What about you? Don't you want to fall in love and all that?"

"Maybe one day when I've seen all there is to see in the world. Men are _such_ a hassle sometimes." She nudged Erza with her shoulder and smiled.

* * *

"So you can't reverse it?" Jellal asked, even though he already knew the answer was no.

"I'm afraid not," Eileen said with a grimace. "Magic doesn't always work that way. Erza tried to protect you and she wove her emotions into that spell. It can't just be _undone._ "

Erza bristled in frustration. Jellal slid his arm around her shoulders and tangled his fingers in the strands of her hair. The gentle tug was eased the tension in her chest. His ability to smooth over her anxiety was something she missed on every other day of the month.

"If it can't be undone, maybe it can be countered instead?" Jellal offered.

"You're quick." Eileen grinned and produced a sachet that looked very similar to the one she'd given Erza. "Here's the catch, though. The power of Erza's spell came from her heart. That's the center of her magic. All witches have a center. But you–" Eileen's eyes fixated on Jellal. "Aren't a witch. So you'll have to supply something physical that's representative of your intention."

"I don't understand," Erza whispered.

"I have to give something up," Jellal said returning Eileen's gaze. "Something important to me."

"Not just something important to _you_ , but something meaningful for Erza, as well. She wanted to protect you from circumstances that might pull you from her side. As a cat you're still her companion and once a month you can be together, but she gave up your human form. If you want to get that back, there has to be a balance of magic. An offering."

"I see," Jellal muttered, tightening his fingers in Erza's hair.

"Even with an offering, I don't think you can fully be rid of the cat form. You'll probably be stuck with it every full moon." Eileen held out the sachet for Jellal and when he took it she closed her hands around his tightly. _"Ut et dimittere,"_ she whispered. "Don't forget those words."

"I won't."

"Good." Eileen's lips ticked up in a smirk. "I need some night air, and I think you two have things to discuss."

* * *

Erza emerged from the bathroom with a pair of scissors. Jellal took them from her reluctantly.

"You have to," she insisted.

"I know," he said, grimacing. "I just... I hate to see it go."

"And I hate to see _you_ go," she added in a breath. Jellal stood and pulled her into his arms. He didn't pull away until the hands of the clock struck one. The moon wouldn't wait forever.

Erza turned around and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd never had more than a few inches trimmed off her hair before. Losing most of it would be entirely new. Jellal gathered everything into a loose ponytail and snipped his way through. Once the bulk of her long, scarlet hair had been tied off with a ribbon and slipped under her pillow, Jellal evened out the remaining bob. The ends didn't quite brush her shoulders but he smiled and touched the fringe that always fell in her face.

"How does it look?" she asked.

"Like you." He smiled and reached over to turn out the lamp. "Even if it never grows back, I'll still love you just the same."

Her head felt surprisingly light when she fell into her pillows. Jellal would – hopefully – still be a human in the morning but she didn't want to risk missing his skin against hers. Just before she fell asleep she heard him breathe the words against the back of her neck.

 _"Ut et dimittere."_


	5. Chapter 5

" _ **There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder; keep rosemary by your garden gate; plant lavender for luck; and fall in love whenever you can."**_

 _ **~Practical Magic (1998)**_

* * *

Erza's hands formed the dough into as perfect a sphere as weight and gravity would allow. Flecks of rosemary dotted the mound and the soon the smell of baking bread would fill every inch of the kitchen. Once the future loaf was in the hearth, Erza turned back to her work table and brushed a stray wisp of hair behind one ear absently. With an experienced technique she minced garlic cloves and sprinkled the bits into a waiting dish of olive oil.

Squeals and laughter from outside seeped through the crack under the back door. Erza smiled and left the oil and garlic to marinade. Far too close for comfort to the sheets drying in the sun, she found her daughters and husband adding flower petals to several pans of mud. Even more mud caked their little hands, feet, and legs. Both sets of clumsily braided red hair showed signs of dirt, as well.

"Mommy!" Ellie called with a bright grin. "I made pies just like you!"

"They're messier than mommy's pies," Emma countered.

"Sometimes," Jellal cut in, gently tugging on the end of one of Emma's braids. "Messy pies can be the best pies."

"But we can't even eat them!" Emma whined.

"These pies are much too pretty to eat," he said with a smile. Jellal glanced up at the sun and down at the shadows starting to crawl across the yard. The exchange was brief but he met Erza's eyes and she smiled knowingly.

"Why don't you girls go and have a bath before dinner." A tandem of perfectly harmonized protests were met with a stern shake of the head. "There's a full moon tonight and we need to eat before sunset."

Ellie sighed and wiped her muddy hands over the front of her play dress. Emma – always more practical than her sister – gazed up at Jellal with furrowed eyebrows. He smiled down at her and winked.

"Go on," he said gently. "It'll be fine."

When both girls were inside the house and well on their way to being free of mud and flower petals, Jellal stepped into the kitchen and twisted the end of Erza's long braid around his fingers. He never missed an opportunity to appreciate her hair that had miraculously grown back. She caught his free hand in hers and smiled.

"Emma worries about you."

"I know." His eyes were stuck on the curl of red around his finger. "Do you think maybe –"

"No," Erza whispered. "They should know. Magic is in their blood. I won't hide things from them like my grandmother did with me."

"I don't know that I disagree with her desire to protect you." He let his forehead fall against hers. "But I think knowledge is a perfectly acceptable armor."

"I love you," Erza whispered. She tilted her head and just as her lips brushed his, a pattern of feet clomping across the second story floor perforated the quiet. "I'd better go make sure everything is in order up there."

"I'll lock up in front." Jellal swiped the keys from their hook and left Erza to check on their daughters. She found both girls in what used to be her childhood bedroom – now outfitted with two matching twin beds – and took a moment to watch Emma methodically comb and rebraid Ellie's freshly washed hair. The bond her daughters shared brought back so many memories.

Eileen's visits had been more frequent since the birth of Emma and Ellie, but she still followed the wind to her heart's content. The spell to return Jellal to his human body had been _mostly_ successful, with only one unexpected condition.

They'd known he'd likely be bound to his cat form – and he was. Every full moon, Jellal transformed back into the blue-grey cat with striking green eyes. Instead of sleeping on the edge of Erza's bed, he now guarded his children with impressive vigilance and only let up just before sunrise. They hadn't, however, counted on the _tether_. Jellal couldn't live away from the bakery without sacrificing his human body. The magic allowed him to work, and carry on as normal... but his _home_ would forever be the bakery. Not long after Eileen departed, he'd tried to return to his family's farm and had woken up in his bed with the wrong body and an intense, _cattish_ drive to return to Erza's side.

Erza had tearfully apologized for the magical tether but, truth be told, Jellal didn't want to be separated from her anyway. Instead of accepting her apology, he asked her to marry him. Eileen didn't make it home in time for the wedding but when she did finally visit, she brought with her a curious stack of papers detailing Jellal's alleged deployment and discharge from the military. The glowing recommendation from one General in particular landed him a job with local law enforcement – a day shift, of course.

One Wednesday morning about a week before Erza's doctor believed the babies would be born, Eileen showed up unannounced. She smudged the house with sage, sweetgrass, and cedar. As the last of the smoke floated from the open windows, a heavy rain began to fall. That night Erza's water broke and – for the first time in a decade – the river flowing through the center of Magnolia flooded, cutting off access to the hospital. Eileen delivered her nieces herself with the help of Jellal.

The next morning was clear and bright. Porlyusica, the only midwife on the south side of the bulging river, declared the babies perfectly healthy. Not that she'd expected anything different, she'd been heard muttering under her breath. According to her, the Scarlet women were _remarkably_ sturdy and resilient.

"Are you two ready to eat?" Erza asked from the doorway. A matching set of smiles greeted her.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole horse!" Ellie said from her spot next to Emma.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a hippo!" Emma said giggling.

"Well, _I_ could eat a lion!" Ellie blurted but suddenly fell silent. She turned to her sister whose eyes were wide in horror. "I'm sorry, Em," she whispered. "I wouldn't really eat a lion. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," Emma said softly. Ellie chewed on her bottom lip in a very _Erza_ way. She took her sister's hands and looked on the verge of tears. "It's really okay, El. I know you wouldn't eat Daddy." Both girls burst into a fresh round of giggles and Erza cleared her throat.

"Alright, that's enough," she interrupted with a smile. "Go on to the table, and I'll bring up the bread."

Erza could hear her daughters tackling their father as she descended the stairs again and brought the rosemary hearth bread out of the fire. The dish of warm oil and garlic was the last thing she grabbed before leaving the kitchen dark for the night.

* * *

The apartment was quiet, as was the bakery and shop below. Erza wriggled her toes in the warmth of the wood stove and ran her hands through her rumpled hair. Usually Jellal would unbraid it for her and leave kisses on her shoulder but tonight he was preoccupied.

A light tapping on the north facing window caught her attention. Erza crossed the floor and slid the sash upwards. She smiled and stepped aside as the cardinal flew into the room, circled around, and landed on the window sill. The shape of it burst and in its place was a folded letter sealed with red wax. Light from the full moon spilled across the floor and Erza gazed out at the night. She didn't think life could possibly be more perfect.

* * *

Just before sunrise a cat landed gracefully on the edge of the bed. He curled into a tight ball at Erza's feet.

"We'll have company soon," she muttered, still half asleep. Even after six years she still couldn't stay awake to see him transform from the cat into the man. It was something she let him keep to himself. Besides, the girls would be up soon and one of them had to be awake to make breakfast. Love was sometimes irrational and unpredictable but family, she decided, _that_ was a practical sort of magic.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: Thank you so much for taking the time to read this indulgence of a story. I hope it's been as fun to read as it was to write. Once again, thank you to thir13enth for enabling my furrier side.**_


End file.
